Category: Latest News and Events

PHIM Hosts NIPH Director General – Enhancing the Longstanding Collaboration and Celebrating Public Health Milestones.

NIPH VISITS PHIM
Lilongwe, Malawi – April 6th, 2025.
by
Moses Nyambalo Phiri in collaboration with Dr. Trude Arnesen and Settie Kanyanda.

The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) recently welcomed Dr. Guri Rørtveit, Director General of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), for a significant visit aimed at strengthening the enduring partnership between the two institutions.

During her meeting with PHIM Director, Dr. Matthew Kagoli and his team, Dr. Rørtveit expressed admiration for the vital public health work being conducted in Malawi. “I am impressed to see the important work that is being done at PHIM and the longstanding collaboration between our two institutions,” stated Dr. Rørtveit.

Meetings with leadership and employees at the Public Health Institute of Malawi.
Throughout the meetings, Dr. Kagoli and the PHIM leadership presented an overview of the institute’s mandate and the specific public health challenges faced within Malawi. Dr. Rørtveit acknowledged the significant societal role PHIM fulfills, particularly in infectious disease control, despite being a relatively young institution operating with limited resources. “I can see that although PHIM is a young institution with limited resources, they play an important role in society, particularly regarding infectious diseases control,” Dr. Rørtveit said. She further expanded the universal importance of robust public health systems and the necessity of universal coverage for basic primary healthcare services to maximize the impact of available resources globally.

The relationship between PHIM and NIPH dates back to 2007, when the International Association of the Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) initially fostered a connection by designating them as “sister institutes.” This enduring partnership is currently exemplified by the “Building public health Institutions and systems Stronger” (BIS) project. Supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and projected to continue for at least four more years, the BIS collaboration focuses on critical areas including Integrated Disease Surveillance, comprehensive capacity building (which notably includes support for a new competency-based medical specialty in public health), enhancing biosafety and biosecurity measures, and providing overall institutional support to PHIM, as detailed by NIPH’s Dr. Trude Arnesen during the visit.

NIPH and PHIM teams gathering for a dinner.
A standout achievement discussed was Malawi’s remarkable progress in public health outcomes, particularly the dramatic increase in life expectancy at birth. This metric has risen by over 20 years within just 25 years, from 45.5 years in the year 2000 to a projected 66.4 years in 2025. Dr. Rørtveit expressed deep admiration for this accomplishment, describing the increase in longevity as a “tremendous success, almost unparalleled in history and in the world.”

The productive visit in Lilongwe, which included valuable interactions between leadership and staff from both institutes, Dr. Rørtveit and Dr. Kagoli traveled together to Maputo, Mozambique. There, they participated in the annual meeting of the International Association of Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), further demonstrating their joint commitment to advancing public health on both national and international stages.

April 14, 2025
PHIM Strategic and Operation Plans Dissemination

PHIM-Documents Dissemination.
Amarylis Hotel – Blantyre, Malawi – March 26th, 2025.
by
Moses Nyambalo Phiri and Settie Kanyanda

The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) has successfully executed a nationwide dissemination initiative, distributing critical strategic documents aimed at reinforcing the nation’s capacity to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.

PHIM disseminated the newly developed National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) Handbook, the Malawi Multi-sector Cholera Control Plan, the PHIM Strategic Plan, Priority Areas for Multi-Sectoral Interventions (PAMI) Booklet, National Public Health Research Strategic Plan, and the Malawi Multi-Hazard Emergency Response Plan among others. These documents represent a significant advancement in Malawi’s public health infrastructure, providing essential frameworks for coordinated and effective emergency response.

This comprehensive Multi-Sectoral and Multi-Disciplinary effort as it was during the development is as the same with during dissemination highlighting Malawi’s commitment to proactive public health management.

The development of these documents involved extensive collaboration with various stakeholders, acknowledging the intricate and multisectoral nature of public health emergencies.

The PHEOC Handbook, in particular, serves as a cornerstone for our emergency response efforts. It equips our national and district teams with the necessary guidelines to ensure timely and adequate responses to public health crises. By aligning our efforts through these strategic documents, we are significantly enhancing our national resilience and promoting a unified approach to safeguarding the health of all Malawians.

This collaborative process ensured that the resulting resources are comprehensive, practical, and tailored to Malawi’s specific needs. PHIM focused on in-depth discussions with stakeholders present ensuring that all are thoroughly familiar with the content of the disseminated documents and their respective roles in emergency response protocols. Key emphasis was placed on the importance of interagency collaboration and coordinated action, recognizing that effective public health crisis management requires a cohesive and unified approach as emphasized by Dr. Evelyn Chitsa Banda, Deputy Director of PHIM responsible for the National Public Health Research and Development during the dissemination in Blantyre.

By equipping national and district officers with these vital documents and knowledge, PHIM is taking a decisive step towards building a robust, responsive, and resilient public health system in Malawi. This initiative signifies a strong commitment to proactive public health management and the protection of not only citizens of Malawi, but every person living in Malawi.

The dissemination events, held concurrently in Zomba in the south, Mponela in the center, and Mzuzu in the north, facilitated in-depth discussions and training sessions for a diverse group of stakeholders. Participants included representatives, from relevant ministries, agencies, and departments nationwide like, Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) the Malawi Defense Force, The Ministry of Agriculture (Animal Health) and The Malawi Police, reflecting the multisectoral and multidisciplinary approach integral to effective public health management.

Mzuzu, Mzimba-North
Mponela, Dowa.
Mponela, Dowa.
Zomba
Blantyre

By equipping national and district officers with these vital documents and knowledge, PHIM is taking a decisive step towards building a robust, responsive, and resilient public health system in Malawi.

March 27, 2025
PHIM and Partners Strengthens National Public Health Emergency Response Capacity Through PHEOC Training.

NPHEOC TRAINING 2025.
Sunbird Capital, Lilongwe, Malawi – March 18th, 2025.
by
Moses Nyambalo Phiri in collaboration with Ella Chamanga, Francis Chimphanje and Settie Kanyanda.

The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) with funding from the World Bank is currently conducting a critical Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (PHEOC) training for national-level staff and subject matter experts. Technical support has been provided by WHO, and the US-CDC Malawi Country Office. The PHEOC serves as the central hub for cordinating preparedness, prevention, detection, response, and mitigation efforts for public health emergencies at all levels. This intensive training program, held from March 18th to 24th, 2025, aims to significantly enhance Malawi’s preparedness and response capabilities to public health emergencies.

The training was officially opened by Mr. Jospeh Bitilinyu Bango, Deputy Director for PHIM responsible for the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) on behalf of Dr. Mathew Kagoli, the Director. In his speech, he emphasized the crucial role this training exercise will render. He said “The knowledge and skills acquired during this training will be instrumental in equipping our district-level teams (DPHEOCs) in the coming weeks,” by highlighting the cascade effect of this national-level effort.

Team of facilitators organising session materials

This PHEOC training builds upon the foundation laid by the inaugural session held about two years ago by WHO and Africa CDC experts. The on coming follow up District PHEOC (DPHEOC) trainings shall ensure a comprehensive and robust emergency response network across the country.

Recognizing the pivotal role of a well-coordinated multi-agency approach in mitigating public health threats, PHIM has organized this training to equip officers from the National PHEOC – including the ICT, Surveillance, EPR, Crossreference, IHR, and the Public Health Research Division and National Public Health Labolatory officers.

Dr. Chitsa Banda, PHIM and Dr. Chapotera, WHO giving a lecture to trainees.

In attendance also are experts from various response stakeholders including Central Veterinary Lab, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Case Management, Operations Supplies and Logistics, Public Health Division, DODMA, EPI, Health Promotions Division, and the International partners WHO, and the US-CDC Malawi Country Office.

Session in Progress ~ Group Discussions.
This training has enhanced understanding of the operational procedures within the National PHEOC, strengthening inter-agency coordination during emergency responses and it has improved the application of expert knowledge across key response pillars.

March 19, 2025